


Mahiru's Smile

by Gorgeous_Girl_Genius



Category: Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/F, Murder, Non-Graphic Violence, Unreliable Narrator, Victim Blaming, Yandere, canonical levels of Yandere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 07:10:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17421371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gorgeous_Girl_Genius/pseuds/Gorgeous_Girl_Genius
Summary: Sato loves Mahiru, and she's always been upset by Natsumi's bullying. But when Natsumi makes a serious threat, Sato will do absolutely anything to protect Mahiru, no matter how terrible.Contains spoilers for Danganronpa 2, Chapter 2, Twilight Syndrome Murder Case section. Happy Birthday Sato!





	Mahiru's Smile

Photos of smiling people should be cliche. They seem like the most boring sort of pictures anyone could ever take. It’s the most common type of picture, and can’t any amateur photographer take simple pictures of smiling faces? You’d be right to think of it that way, but only until you see the photos that Mahiru takes. Mahiru loves smiles. And, unlike an unskilled photographer’s, each gorgeous photo she takes of a smile captures the spirit of its subject, the unique way that only their face moves in a moment of true happiness. Each one is truly a work of art. When she shows them to me, though, she never seems to know that. Her smile, even more beautiful to me than the ones she’s captured on film, is sheepish and self-conscious. She tells me each time, something like “I’m not that good at it.” or “I just like to see people’s smiles.”

But she just can’t see how good she is. In every one of her pictures, it’s evident who the subject is, but Mahiru can’t see that it’s even more evident who she is. Mahiru is a pure and precious girl, one who loves people’s smiles, the sort of girl who sees the most beauty in the happiness of others. Mahiru is a sweet girl, a kind girl, the kind of girl who spends her time with me. She brings me lunch and photos every day, even though she’s been accepted by Hope’s Peak as the Ultimate Photographer and I’m just in the Reserve Course. Mahiru, every day, has time for me. She’s such a good, pure, girl. Her voice is soft, only saying kind words, except when she heroically raises it in a well-deserved lecture. Her hands are gentle, the actions she performs with them, motherly. Her confidence inspires me, and her values are unshakable. And that's not even to mention her physical beauty. Her dark red hair curls ever so slightly in front of her ears, falling in a cute bob around the rest of her face. Her eyes are a deep olive, her cheeks are dusted with a perfect constellation of freckles, and she dresses her delicate body in the most proper version of our school uniform, even though she does not have to. She’s upstanding, proper, morally pure. All around, a good girl. And I’m lucky enough that she loves me.

But she just can’t see how good she is. Mahiru doesn’t think she’s beautiful. She doesn’t think she’s really that good at photography. And, in spite of her confidence about her values, she doesn’t truly know that she’s so good and pure. And I know just exactly why. Her name is Natsumi, and she’s the polar opposite of Mahiru’s perfection. Natsumi is cruel, her smile is full of sadism, and she’s not pure at all. She’s full of nothing but malice and her abuse never stops. Natsumi is terrifying. Her cruelty knows no bounds, and she’s ruthless. Natsumi berates Mahiru every day and now she even ventures to threaten her. And although Mahiru bears it with a smile, I know it eats at her pure and perfect heart. And Mahiru is even kind enough to show compassion to her, to tell me not to argue with her. Sweet, kind, purehearted Mahiru.

It’s noble of her, moral, to give Natsumi that kindness. But she doesn’t realize what Natsumi might do to her. Poor innocent, naive Mahiru. I want… to protect that innocence.

But with Natsumi around, it’s only a matter of time before she breaks her down completely, crushes her spirit. Or worse. She’s Yakuza after all, she has the means to do anything she wants to Mahiru. And now she’s crossed the line. She’s threatened her directly. It’s dangerous. She’s dangerous. But I will protect Mahiru. I will protect…

Her smile. Mahiru’s smile. Mahiru’s mothering words, her lecturing tone, her gentle hands, the pictures she takes. Her bravery, her commitment, her beliefs. I’ll protect it all. Mahiru’s smile. Whatever needs done to protect it, I will do. No matter how terrible, I will protect that smile. It’s behind my eyelids every time I blink. It motivates me to do what has to be done. I have to protect Mahiru’s smile.

Mahiru’s smile is all I see when I take the key, when I lock the room, when I bust the glass, when I fill my swimsuit full of gravel. All I see is Mahiru’s smile. I don’t see Natsumi’s face when I actually do it. I can only see Mahiru’s smile, the smile I need to protect. I don’t want to see Natsumi's face. This isn’t about Natsumi. Natsumi had it coming, but I won’t watch this with satisfaction. Mahiru wants me to be nice to her, but I won’t watch this with empathy. Because this isn’t about her. This is about Mahiru. So even though Natsumi’s look of terror is right in front of my eyes, I don’t do Mahiru the disservice of seeing it. I only think of Mahiru. I don’t see Natsumi’s face until it’s all done. I don’t regret it when I see her afterward. It wasn’t her fault, really, even as cruel as she is. It just had to be done. I don’t regret it.

I don’t regret it when I hide the evidence, when spin my lies about what happened to her instead. I don’t regret it when I fake my horror. I don’t even regret it when Mahiru thinks I shouldn’t have done it. Even when I have to lie to her and tell her I didn’t do it. Pure, innocent Mahiru. She just doesn’t know. And I want to protect that innocence. I don’t regret it when the evidence points Fuyuhiko in my direction. I don’t regret it when the silver bat hits my head. I don’t regret it when the blood pours from the back of my head and my vision goes fuzzy. I don’t regret it when I slump against the wall and take my last breath. Because I could never, ever, regret something I did to protect Mahiru’s smile. 


End file.
